


Mother's Gifts - Day 11

by Glimare



Series: Twelve Days They Never Speak About Around the Old Ones, Except the Last Part [11]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: 12 Days of Christmas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:01:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28252074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Glimare/pseuds/Glimare
Summary: Dick and Tim learn what Damian thinks of holidays while waiting for eleven pipers to appear. It's a stretch.
Relationships: Tim Drake & Dick Grayson & Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne & Damian Wayne
Series: Twelve Days They Never Speak About Around the Old Ones, Except the Last Part [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2055210
Kudos: 14





	Mother's Gifts - Day 11

"They're still dancing." Tim glared out the parlor door, waiting for the next delivery to arrive while keeping the birdboys company as they cleaned the cages (Alfred refused to do them on a matter of principle).

"Of course they are!" Dick carefully rolled up the paper they slid out of the calling bird cage, cringing at the mess. Damian was working on the doves. "They want to get everything perfect for the party tomorrow night."

"They're going to eat us out of house and home." The teen scowled, thinking out loud. "I don’t know how we're going to handle the twenty-one yet to come."

"How are you certain there are twenty-one more people coming?" Damian tossed the paper he was working with into a small garbage bag, chewing on a thought. No one, not even Father or Pennyworth would explain what was going on. Some big secret of theirs.

"We'll tell you tomorrow before bed," Dick promised. "Then we'll talk about the days after Christmas."

"I.E. Our revenge plan for your mother."

That earned Tim a glare from both of them. "It is not a revenge plan we'll be following. It's just some funny options if they were available. So far there's nothing warranting revenge on her. Everyone's checked out, Zatanna's said the rings are just rings, and every one of these birds are healthy and safe. She could just be trying to be involved with Damian's first Christmas here."

"I still do not see the relevance of this holiday," Damian stated. This made his brothers stop and look at him in surprise. He continued on, getting I-don't-want-to-believe-what's-coming-out-of-your-mouth-but-it's-probably-true looks from both of them the entire time. "All it is, is a celebration of the winter solstice with some red-suited, fat man myth flying around the world as incentive to have children behave. And half the time the child never gets what they want anyway."

The older birds just continued to gape at him in disbelief before looking at each other. Clearly they were thinking of how he did not have a normal childhood and therefore missed out on something vital. They shared that look when they were talking about his lack of birthday cake all his life before. He raised a disgruntled eyebrow at them. "What?"

"Oh boy."

"We've seriously got some work to do."

"Bruce and Alfred should have covered it with him by now."

"You'd think with all that education he'd have learned about a very famous Christian holiday."

"You should have seen him on Halloween."

"Tell me, what do you think Easter's about? And don't say rabbits and eggs."

Damian scowled at the two of them, making less sense with every sentence. "What are you ingrates rambling about?"

Just before a fight, argument, or very involved discussion could happen, the doorbell rang. Instantly the three of them bolted from the room to the door. Tim had his staff in hand, ready to extend. Dick's escrima sticks were tucked in his sweater sleeves. Damian's knives were exactly where they always were, all over his person, but unlike them, he wasn't ready for a fight. He wanted to know who and what his mother sent next! They passed by Cass and Jason coming out of the kitchen, neither armed but both quite willing to fight when called upon. Bruce and Alfred were already at the door, opening it.

"Hello! I'm with the Geliefde Ensemble. I was hoping to see where we would be performing tomorrow night? And if we had to bring our own chairs." A portly man with a Dutch accent presented his hard to Alfred, along with some paperwork. After a quick look over, he passed the papers over to Bruce who analyzed them carefully. Tim was soon at his side, stuffing his extending staff away and wishing he brought his iPad instead. The man looked back at them in confusion in the doorway. "Am I late in presenting myself? Or is this an American custom I don’t know about?"

After a moment, the butler smiled and let him inside. "My apologies. Security is a priority here. We were not... very clearly informed about your arrival. We expected... Eleven men with pipes."

The man laughed. "Eleven pipers? You people are very odd indeed."

"They're a woodwind ensemble." Bruce huffed out in frustration, looking over to the others. Half of them looked ready to laugh at a moment's notice. "He's their conductor. The group has ten players."

Jason gaffed and turned away, grinning from ear to ear. "Wow! Talia sure knows how to work it! Wonder what she'll do about the drums!"

**Author's Note:**

> It's a stretch but you should really check out what the group's name means. I love stretching things.
> 
> MERRY CHRISTMAS!


End file.
